Sakura no Tomo: The Cherry Blossom's Companion
by Lady Lilly
Summary: AU. What if Tomoyo had magic? Sixth grader Kinomoto Sakura's life takes a dive as a mysterious new stundent comes into it. Tomoyo x Sakura.
1. Buds of Blossoms to Come

The Cherry Blossom's Companion  
An AU CCS fanfic by Setsuka  
  
Warnings: AU, implied shoujo-ai, and slight angst, nothing big yet.  
Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP does. I worship CLAMP. This will stand for the whole story.

Note: _/Dream Sequence/_  
  
Chapter One: Buds of Blossoms to Come  
  
_/Sakura stood in the center of Tomoeda Park. Rows of blooming sakura trees stood majestically in front of her. She was fifteen. The warm spring air blew the pink petals, Sakura's long pink flounced sundress and Sakura's short hair in various directions. Sakura felt lost in the storm of pink. She felt a hand on hers and looked up to see the other person run ahead, their long violet hair trailing behind. Sakura chased after the other person, but she could never catch up. Musical laughter echoed in Sakura's ears, as if taunting her.  
  
After rows and rows of trees, Sakura stopped to take a breath and found herself on a glassy lake, the water perfectly still. Sakura floated on the surface, feet never touching the liquid. She ran on the water, causing ripples with every step, but she never fell through. Her green eyes scanned the endless lake for what, she didn't know. Suddenly, she saw a field of wavy purple hair float on the water, lapping in the ripples that Sakura caused. Sakura's eyes widened. It felt like a rock was lodged in her throat, a sharp one. She crumbled to her knees, just barely above the water. She ran her fingers through a section and the water rose or Sakura fell, but now Sakura was in the water. The water only came to Sakura's lower ribs. She pushed forward, to grasp the body attached to the hair. She lifted a woman with white skin and empty blue eyes. Sakura felt a sharp pain in her heart. She hugged the dead woman close as she and the corpse began to sink into ever darkening waters. /_  
  
Kinomoto Sakura, age 11, woke up violently, throwing her blankets off her body. Tears rolled down her face. She looked at the clock on her nightstand.  
  
"OH NO!!!! I'M LATE!" she screamed as she quickly pulled on her uniform of a black sailor blouse, white pleat skirt and white beret. She grabbed her schoolbag and barreled down the stairs. She grabbed the piece of toast in her father's hand with her mouth and chomped on it as she buckled her roller blades shut over her shoes. She rushed down the street, pushing against the asphalt franticly. It was her first day of the second to last month of sixth grade, last year of elementary school and she was late, again. She just slid into her seat, as the bell rung. The teacher came in and a pale girl followed him. He whispered something to her and the new girl wrote in elegant writing beyond her years, Daidouji Tomoyo. Sakura was entranced by the girls long, wavy purple hair tinted with gray.  
  
"Daidouji-san just moved from England. Please be kind to her," the teacher said. Tomoyo bowed and sat down in the empty seat, right by Sakura. Sakura looked at the other girl. She had a light frame, pale skin and long violet hair that made Sakura want to run her fingers through the silky mass. She felt her heart go pit-pat and a blush rose to her face. She whispered under her breath,  
  
"Hyaan," Tomoyo also seemed to shine. Everyone paled to the shy girl's aura. It was like she glowed with a soft personality that hid strength underneath, but Sakura could also feel a deep sorrow beneath the quiet girl's mask. Sakura also noticed that the girl never talked unless confronted. She wrote down her notes is silence, eyes down, her face hidden by her hair. During lunch, when everyone else grouped up, Tomoyo sat at her desk, scribbling on a notebook with a pen. Sakura then continued to talk with Chiharu, her best friend and fellow member of the cheerleading club. The day came and went, Sakura attended her classes and then she attended cheerleading practice after school.  
  
In the locker room after practice, Sakura was looking through her bag for the book she borrowed from Naoko when she realized that she had left her math textbook in the classroom. On the way from the classroom, Sakura passed the choir room. The door was ajar so Sakura heard a soft and melodious voice sing something Sakura couldn't understand. She peeked into through the crack between the doors to find Tomoyo singing, in front of the choir teacher. Tomoyo finished with a lasting low note. The teacher clapped.  
  
"You are very good, Daidouji-san. I'll place you on the advance choir. It's made of the best middle school students, you'll be the only elementary school student in the group, but you're as good if not better then them. Here's the music they're going to sing at the festival. Learn it," with that the teacher waved his hand to signal Tomoyo to leave. Tomoyo took the paper and walked toward the door. Sakura meeped and jumped away form the door. Tomoyo's eyes widened at the sight of the blushing Sakura. Then to Sakura's shock, the purple haired beauty smiled at Sakura, making her the color of a tomato. She stammered,  
  
"Wwwouldd yyyoou um, like to hhhang outtt?!" Tomoyo giggled a little. Sakura quickly stammered out, "Um, that is if you want to, you don't have to you know, I'm sure you have other, better people you can be with, so see you tomorrow?" Sakura turned and started walking to the door, quickly.  
  
"Wait," Tomoyo said. Her voice was soft, almost inaudible. The one word still echoed through the empty halls. Sakura turned around, a great big, sloppy smile on her face. The two girls linked hands and walked, well one skipped, through the halls.  
  
"Where do you wanna go?" Sakura asked Tomoyo. The dark haired girl took Sakura's hands into her own with a smile.  
  
"Where ever you want to, Kinomoto-san," Tomoyo smiled. The setting sun gave Tomoyo a golden glow. Sakura felt blood rise to her face.  
  
"It's Sakura-chan, please. Let's'go...um...let me think," Sakura said and ran through the places she liked in her head, "I know, there's this really nice ice cream parlor near Ueno Park...but it's pretty far from here..." Sakura pouted and rubbed her index fingers together. Tomoyo smiled.  
  
"That's no problem, just a second," Tomoyo took out a black cell phone and pressed a few buttons. "Hey, it's me, pick me up," She hung up and turned to Sakura, my driver should be here soon. In the meanwhile, let's sit on the swings and let's get to know each other, ne?"  
  
Sakura sat on a swing and Tomoyo pushed her. For a few moments the only sounds were of Tomoyo's hands on the cloth of Sakura's blouse, the flapping that Sakura's skirt created as her skirt fluttered and the creak of the swing. Then Tomoyo's beautiful voice soared in the warm air.  
  
"Muri die vento, Notte e seesa, Padre e figlio sono insiem," Tomoyo's voice was surprisingly low. It was deep and throaty. Sakura felt herself being surrounded by the music. Tomoyo sang a few more verses before a loud honk disturbed the scene.  
  
Sakura looked to find a slick high black high profile car with blacked out windows. A smaller black car was right behind it. One woman got out of the large car while three climbed out of the smaller one. They were dressed in smart black dress suits, their hair of various lengths and colors were perfectly arranged, and not a stray strand in sight, sunglasses concealed their eyes. These strange women intimidated Sakura. Tomoyo took Sakura's hand and lead her to the larger car. The one who had gotten out of the large car, she was more than 180 cm in height and her long strawberry blonde hair was pulled into a bun on her head with a section free on the right side of her face, bowed to Tomoyo and Sakura before opening the side door for the two girls. After the door was slammed shut, the other women got into their car and trailed the larger car. Sakura noted another woman sitting in the driver's seat on the right side. Her hair was wavy and a deep blue. She was the only woman that Sakura had seen without sunglasses. Sakura saw that her eyes were a light gray.  
  
"Where would you like to go?" the driver asked Tomoyo. Tomoyo smiled and replied.  
  
"To Ueno Park, Sakura-chan suggested an ice cream parlor in the area," with that a glass wall slid up to separate the passengers and the driver and the body guard.  
  
"Who are they?" Sakura asked  
  
"They're my bodyguards. My personal driver is Yoshimoto Nami, the one with the blue hair. The other woman in the front is the head and my personal bodyguard; her name is Shiro Esther, and she's half-English. She was also my bodyguard while I was in England," Tomoyo said.  
  
"Why are you here, um, why did you move from England?" Sakura asked.  
  
"I've been living in England since I was five, after my parents divorced, I went with my father to England. But he died when I was seven in a car accident. I lived with Esther after that. Then just a few weeks ago, my mother died. My mother owned and ran Daidouji Toys. With her dead, I had to come back to Japan to take over the company. It's a little much, running the company, but I've been trained in stuff like that at the private school I attended since I was four," Tomoyo said, not a trace of sadness on her face. Sakura believed that since she hadn't seen her mother in so many years, that her mother was like a stranger. "So, tell me about yourself," Tomoyo said. Sakura blushed.  
  
"Um, I'm on the cheerleading team, my birthday is April 1, um...I like omelets with fried rice and noodles. My mom died when I was four. I live with my father and my big brother who is a total pain," Tomoyo laughed at that. "I'm a cheerleader, I don't like math, I think that's about it, how 'bout you?" Sakura asked, a blush rose to her cheeks.  
  
'Crap, I was too forward again, please say I didn't scare her off,' Sakura's mind pleaded. Thankfully Tomoyo just smiled and replied,  
  
"As you know, my name is Daidouji Tomoyo. My birthday is September 3, food wise I like Soba noodles and sushi. You know about my family. And you also know I'm on the school choir. There aren't really any classes I don't like," Tomoyo replied. She then asked, "What kind of flower do you like? I like sakura, very much," Sakura blushed at the possible double meaning. "I also like magnolias. How about you?" Tomoyo leaned in close. Sakura could feel the other girl's breath on her ear. Sakura turned the color of a tomato.  
  
"Um," Sakura fidgeted, "I like sakura too," she said in a soft voice. Before anything else could be said, the car came to a halt and the glass panel between the two girls and the two women rolled down.  
  
"Daidouji-sama, we're here," Esther announced. She got out and opened the door for the two girls. She bowed as they exited. She said something to the driver and closed the door. Tomoyo linked hands with Sakura and she turned to the other girl.  
  
"So where is this ice cream parlor?" she asked. The warm spring air made her long purple hair flutter in the wind.  
  
_/The other person ran ahead, their long violet hair trailing behind./_  
  
"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked with concern after Sakura had spaced out.  
  
"Um, huh? Hoe! I'm sorry, it's that way," Sakura informed the other girl, "it's further in the park." Tomoyo smiled and walked together with Sakura deeper into the park. The trees were filled with buds that would burst open later in the spring. Sakura tried to enjoy the company, and try to ignore the four bodyguards following them.  
  
To Be Continued  
  
Author Notes: Yeah, like I said it's AU so the time frame is different. Tomoyo is a bit more forward than she is originally, but I don't think she acts strange enough to be considered OOC. I changed her past a lot. The fact that she moved from England will play a part much later. Yes it will have the Clow Cards, but that will happen later much later, I have it planned for when Tomoyo and Sakura are in 2nd year of high school. Other things will reveal themselves in the future, like the dream sequence at the beginning and why Tomoyo catches Sakura's attention so much. CC, comments of evertype, flames, whatever. Just review!!!


	2. A Sharp Breeze

Sakura no Tomo

Chapter Two: A Sharp Breeze

Disclaimer: Same as before

Warnings: More Shoujo-Ai

=Ueno Park=

Sakura bit into her chocolate-caramel ice cream cone with gusto. She caught an errant flow of chocolate sauce with a sharp flick of her tongue. She continued to eat the frozen treat after the threat was held back. The genki cheerleader never noticed soft violet eyes gazing intensely at her. Well, at least she noticed four pairs of eyes burning into her back. Four sunglass guarded eyes. Sakura felt a skiver go down her spine. Sakura felt a soft squeeze of encouragement on her free hand.

"Don't worry about them, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo reassured the other girl. Sakura blushed as she noticed the warmth of Tomoyo's hand in her. She nodded and continued to eat her ice cream, glad for the warmth from the other girl's hand in the chilly spring dusk. After Sakura finished the cone, the sun was almost below the horizon.

The sky was a sunburst of reds, oranges and yellows. Further up hues of blue and purple mixed with the warm color display above, with clouds glowing a flushed rose between the two. Tomoyo stood in front of Sakura. The other girl's long violet hair was tinted, like the sky, with brilliant splashes of rose and orange. A cold early spring breeze flapped the purple mass and ruffled her white skirt. A small smattering of early-born sakura petals flew on the errant wind. Sakura felt the all too common jump of her heart. She ran up and linked hands with Tomoyo. The two left the park, hand in hand.

Esther opened the car door open for the two. With hands still linked, Tomoyo climbed into the car and pulled the brunette after her. The two rested on the plush leather seats. The glass barrier slid down and Esther was peering at Sakura.

"Where do you live Kinomoto-san?" the bodyguard asked. Sakura mumbled her address and Esther nodded before the glass slid back up. Tomoyo's pale hand stroked Sakura's soft hair. Sakura's eyes fluttered as she leaned into Tomoyo's embrace. As the lights of the highway streaked past the tinted window, Tomoyo watched with intense storm blue eyes at the angel that lied, sleeping, in her lap. She brushed away a stray lock of hair from the round face. The heiress couldn't resist herself as she leaned down and kissed the other girl's cheek. Sakura's cheeks reddened and she burrowed deeper into Tomoyo's lap. The rest of the drive was uneventful.

As the two black cars pulled up to the Kinomoto residence darkness completely blanketed the sky. Tomoyo gently shook Sakura awake. Sakura blinked and then realization dawned on her. Esther had already opened the door and was waiting for Sakura to exit.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Sakura asked as she jumped out. Tomoyo smiled sadly as she shook her head.

"Sorry, I have a series of meetings in the afternoons for the next week," Tomoyo said. The two waved and Esther closed the door. But before the stoic bodyguard reentered the car, Esther took off her sunglasses and smiled at Sakura before replacing the black shades and climbing into the front seat. The kind eyes that Sakura saw were the same violet as Tomoyo's and the smile almost as warm. 'Maybe the bodyguards aren't too bad' Sakura thought as Esther got back into the car and the black vehicle continued down the street.

Sakura turned towards her house and rang the doorbell. Her father and brother greeted her warmly as she entered the sanctuary of the Kinomoto house. A hot dinner of fried rice, omelets and steak awaited them as the three sat down to eat and talk of the day. After dinner Sakura would work on her homework, struggling especially with math.

Tomoyo's violet eyes hardened and the gentle smile on her face faded the second the car door closed. The heiress' gentle façade evaporated. This Daidouji Tomoyo was serious and the only glimmer in her large amethyst eyes was perhaps the slightest trace of cruelty. With deft fingers, Tomoyo untied her school tie with a sharp tug and quickly divested herself of her school uniform. She reached into the shape behind the seats and pulled out a dry cleaned business suit that was still in the cleaner's provided bag.

The lavender blouse tailored to her petit frame slid onto her torso and laid flush to the soft flesh. An almost black blue skirt slid up her thighs to rest on the pale girl's waist. Nimble fingers pulled the fastener shut. The matching dark blue jacket was last; it slid over her shoulders and was buttoned over the blouse. Tomoyo watched in disinterest as the car passed the Daidouji mansion. She didn't want to go back to the large and empty edifice. Finally the car screeched to slow down in front of a skyscraper in the heart of Tokyo. Large letters read Daidouji Corp. on a sign several meters above the elaborate doors. The cars entered the garage of the building.

The cars pulled into two of the spaces with 'President' spray painted on the asphalt. All six of her companions, bodyguards and drivers got out the car and followed Tomoyo. Esther stood to the right of Tomoyo. Two followed a yard behind Tomoyo. The drivers walked behind them and the last bodyguard walked at the rear. Sliding glass doors with Daidouji Corp. written in fancy golden letters slid open to admit the silent girl and her companions.

The six walked into the main office. All the staff stood and bowed. Even at seven in the evening over half of the staff was still present. The Daidouji Corp. Office was always teeming with life and activity during almost the entire day. The group walked into a large but empty hallway. One side was glass paneling that allowed a view into the three story high interior garden in the center of the building. An elevator that was made of glass was at the end of the hall. Only a small white box with a little light and a clef for card swiping.

Esther slid her card key through the line and the little light bulb blinked green and the frosted glass doors opened. The elevator allowed a view of the entire garden. The carpet was cream and the best quality money could buy. A silver box had numbers and symbols on it. After all six entered, Esther pressed the top most button, which had a D in fancy lettering imprinted on the silver button. Tomoyo leaned against the silver railing that ran around the glass box. She looked at the gardens as the elevator climbed up the building. After the garden had disappeared under layers of concert, the elevator faced a mirror after the third center display. The tropical garden was on floors B-1 though 3, the Zen gardens and ponds were located on floors 4-9 and then another garden for floors 10-13. Finally the elevator opened after it reached the second to the top floor. The doors slid open and the bodyguards got out first, lined the hall and then Tomoyo stepped out into the short hall.

The hall led into the main entrance of Tomoyo's office. To the sides were glass walls that showed the offices her personal secretaries and other underlings worked. Several glass doors lead to the work area. A pair of large mahogany double doors with simple handles and a 10 cm by 30 cm gold sign nailed to the left door that read Daidouji Tomoyo in kanji. Esther and another bodyguard opened the doors for Tomoyo. The violet haired girl walked into her office.

The far wall was made of glass that allowed a gorgeous view of Tokyo at night. The Tokyo Tower was visible along with several other prominent buildings. Of course to prevent any bad things from happening the glass was actually five-inch thick plexi glass. A large table was facing the door and a swivel chair was behind the table. Shelves books, various paintings and TV screens lined the walls. Tomoyo sat down in the chair and turned her computer on. She flicked a pale hand and all the bodyguards, save Esther left the room.

Tomoyo asked Esther to bring her dinner and some coffee. She glared at the giant pile of paperwork on her desk. There was a lot of information and contracts to be sorted though for the new electronics division of Daidouji Corp. Tomoyo sighed as she began to read through the first contract.

Many doubted her ability to lead such a large corporation at the tender age of twelve. Tomoyo sometimes questioned herself as well. But she would do the job and do it well. She signed the first contract and moved onto the second one. And after that there were still little details about the banquet on Saturday night. In her short time of three weeks of running Daidouji Crop, the company had gained several million dollars though a few of her deals with various international companies.

It was trouble and a lot of it. But Tomoyo was kind of glad that she had something to throw herself into. Otherwise she would be stuck in an empty house twiddling her thumbs or something. And sometimes, she would manage to leave behind her past memories of a life that was and wasn't hers at the same time. Memories of magic and the cost of power and of pain, blood, fire and death. The memories of one Raine Reed, 1584-1603.

Sakura mumbled and rolled over to avoid the strong sunshine in her eyes. Wait a minute. Sakura peeled open an eye to glance at her clock. Oh crap.

"I'M LATE!!!!" Sakura yelled as she hurriedly dressed, brushed her teeth, grabbed her backpack and thundered down the stairs. The kitchen and living room was deserted when she reached the first floor. She ran out the door after throwing on her skates.

She started to push against the ground onto the end up pushing against the tall frame of one Shiro Esther. The bodyguard caught the girl and escorted the eleven year old to the car. The door was open, revealing a smiling and waving Tomoyo. Esther helped Sakura into the car and climbed into her normal location of passenger seat. The car sped off to Tomoeda Academy.

Tomoyo offered a piece of toast, which Sakura readily accepted. She washed the buttered bread down with the bag of milk Tomoyo placed into her lap.

"Um," not to sound ungrateful," Sakura stammered out, "but...um...why were outside my house?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo merely smiled.

"Because I thought that maybe Sakura-chan might wakeup late, so I showed up early to pick you up," the violet haired girl said. Sakura nodded.

"Tomoyo-sama, Kinomoto-san," Esther said to the two girl in the back, "We have arrived."

The car pulled to a stop and Esther opened the door to let the two out. Tomoyo took Sakura's hands as the two walked through the school gates along with other students. And for once, Sakura was walking at a relaxed pace into school.

It was lunchtime and once again Sakura was eating with her little cheerleader clique. Tomoyo was nowhere to be seen. Sakura remember the pale girl walking out after the lunch bell rang. Yamazaki made another comment that got him hit by Chiharu. Sakura returned to her lunch and friends. Unaware that the girl in her thoughts was currently dangling her legs over the school roof.

Tomoyo sat on the edge of the roof, just taking in the scenery of the school or something. A playful wind tugged on her hair and skirt. She pondered about one particular girl with emerald eyes and the ability to melt Tomoyo's heart like no one could before. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Tomoyo stood and jumped off the roof to land perfectly on the ground below before she walked into the doors, heading for her classroom. She never noticed the intense blue eyes of one Kinomoto Touya watching her.

It was early Saturday evening. School had let out for the week at noon. Tomoyo had been at her home, preparing it for her "introduction" banquet. It was her chance to wage war with other large corporations in the social poaching arena. The ballroom was decorated with a sakura flower theme. Paper lanterns would illuminate the gardens in the back. The cooks were finishing the food they had been preparing for days. The workers of the company she hired were setting up the tables and chairs.

Tomoyo wore an elegant gown of black silk with mesh paneling over her shoulders. Her hair was gathered back into a series of knots that wandered down her back. Mesh gloves shielded her hands and arms. She stood by and greeted the guests as they showed up, her gentle smile plastered on her face.

Touya stopped dead, chair in his arms as he saw one Daidouji Tomoyo standing to the side, the most gentle and beautiful smile he had ever seen. And the fakest too. And for a second the girl looked at him, her violet ears narrowed in amusement, like a tiger to a rabbit it had cornered. Touya suddenly felt very cold.

To be Continued...

A/N:

-Okay, I know that in the original and in Ch. 1 I said that Sonomi and now Tomoyo runs Daidouji Toys. I changed it to Daidouji Corporation for story reasons. Don't worry, Daidouji Toys exists, but Tomoyo runs all of Daidouji Crop.

-Does Tomoyo have some sort of split personality? No, this'll come around later but when she's not with Sakura or putting a pretense on, eg to Touya, she's serious to the point of being cold and harsh


	3. Heat Wave

Sakura no Tomo

Chapter Three: Heat Wave

"Say goodbye on a night like this," Tomoyo sang as she slowly undid her hair, letting the violet wavy cascade unbound. She pulled the gloves off and set them on a black marble counter. Tomoyo looked at her reflection. Violet hair hung in a mess down her shoulders, dark rings surrounded her eyes and her dress was half hanging off one shoulder. Tomoyo glared at the clock as if it would change the time.

"If it's the last thing we ever do, you never looked as lost as this," Tomoyo continued to sing as she unzipped the dress and let it pool on the cold marble floor. Tomoyo turned on the water and without testing the temperature, she gathered a handful of ice-cold water and rinsed her face. Tomoyo sighed as she rubbed her temples. She gave up and retreated to the mini office connected to her bedroom. Tomoyo turned on the lights ad booted up her computer. Elegant gold hands on the face of the clock revealed the hour. It was two in the morning.

"Sometimes it doesn't even look like you,"

Sakura rolled around in bed. Her head pounded and she felt very cold. Sakura pulled her comforter closer to her body. Fujitaka sighed as he read the thermometer. 40 degrees Celsius. Fujitaka called the school and left a note for Touya. Sakura mumbled incoherently in her sleep. Golden sunlight shone on Sakura's prone form as she trashed in her fever-induced delirium.

_/She was running. Her feet were pounding against smooth black stones. Steam and dancing flames clouded her sight. Sakura choked on the heavy, sulfuric air. Sweat rolled off her skin and stung the cuts over her body. She came to the end of the road. She looked down and regretted it immediately. She saw the river of lava rush down the edge of the cliff, slashing nosily below into a large pit of molten rock. And Sakura stood alone in all of it, stranded on a solitary rock that was rapidly sinking into the lava. Her perch was slowly inching closer to the edge of the lava flow. Sakura could only scream as she began to plummet towards the inferno that was rapidly approaching. /_

Tomoyo stood before the Kinomoto house. She assumed that no one was home and jumped onto Sakura's windowsill. Tomoyo watched the brunette with worry. The green-eyed cheerleader that was Tomoyo's only friend was tossing and turned. 'Bad dream?" Tomoyo wondered. Like any good meaning magically gifted friend, Tomoyo used a simple wind spell to open the latch on Sakura's window, as a good friend should.

Tomoyo landed on the carpeted floor of Sakura's room easily enough. Tomoyo smoothed out her deep violet skirt, she had skipped class since without Sakura there was no point, and sat on Sakura's bed. A pale hand crept onto Sakura's forehead. Tomoyo frowned at the heat beneath her fingertips. Tomoyo ransacked her mind before deciding on a spell. Tomoyo hummed as she cast the spell. Sakura's breathing calmed and she stopped thrashing around. Her fever receded a little. Tomoyo continued to sing until Sakura seemed to be fine. Then She vanished like she was never there. The only sign of her presence was a shower of dried lavender

/Sakura fell into the pit, but instead of hot lava she slashed into cool water. She felt much better as the seawater lapped around her body. She looked up to gaze in wonder at the waterfall that poured down from dozens of meters up. She could see an island. On the white sand beaches stood a girl. The sun cast a shadow over her face. The other girl's hair lapped gently in the summer breeze. Sakura could smell lavender as she neared the island. Her feet slid across the sand as she threw her self into the awaiting girl's arms. She savored the warmth and then she smelled lavender/

Sakura woke up, looking around. The scent of lavender still filtered through her mind. She looked down to find flecks of dried lavender on her blanket. She picked up a bud and rubbed it into pieces with her hand. Sakura' brows knitted in confusion. She felt better. Sakura got out of bed and went to take a shower. Her body was sweat soaked and she noticed a light crust of sea salt on her skin.

End Chapter Three

Author Notes:

I'm really sorry that this is really late and it's super short. But I have like a mega writer's block. If any one has any suggestions or comments it would help. Take you all. I should get the next chapter out by the begging of February.


	4. Sunset

Sakura no Tomo

Chapter 4: Sunset

Warnings: Shoujo-ai!

One week had past since the first day of school at Tomeda Private Elementary School. April first was creeping about the calendar. Spring was coming. The day of one Kinomoto Sakura's birth just coincidentally fell on the weekend, so a party was planned and invitations sent out to all her friends. Tomoyo had found the square invitation, printed on glossy postcard paper with the information. It was truly elementary. One side had an eye piercingly bright happy birthday banner; the other side had the location, occasion and time written in Sakura's round hiragana.

Tomoyo looked over the card in her pale hands as she ate lunch at her normal outcrop on the school roof. Tomeda Private Academy also included middle school and just by chance, perching on the middle school roof, one had the perfect vantage point to the second story classroom, 6-1. Tomoyo traced the edges of the invitation. She had seen and handled many that were much more impressive. Invitations that were printed on cotton paper, indigo ink made from the priciest dyes dancing on the rough paper, diamond dust used to dry the equally expensive ink. Invitations from some of the most influential people in the world, both monetarily and power wise. Yet, the small invitation warmed her heart so. She traced the bubble hiragana.

She also remembered fondly the look of joy Sakura wore on her face when Tomoyo said she could make it. She should be able to, there was a morning meeting with the executives of the Sakura Group, which was composed of Japan's largest technology companies, but the party was in the afternoon. If she arranged for a helicopter she would be able to read Tomeda in less than 30 minutes even from the crowded heart of Tokyo. There was just something magical about Sakura. Every smile seemed to drive Tomoyo's demons away, back to the darkness they were bred from, but once that emerald eyed angel left, Tomoyo was alone again, boxed in by her demons. She couldn't help but feel that if she took her eyes off her angel for a mere moment that the said angel would leave. Just the thought of being left by Sakura made Tomoyo's pale temples slick with sweat. She fought down a heady wave of panic. It was unhealthy perhaps to be so obsessed, no addicted to another person, but after years of darkness, Tomoyo didn't care.

The week came and went and the weekend approached. Sakura and Tomoyo were the last two in the classroom on Thursday afternoon because they had cleaning duty. Sakura was wiping down the chalkboard while Tomoyo mopped the tile floor. The chairs had already been put atop the desks. Tomoyo san softly as she maneuvered the mop around the metal table legs, careful not to knock down any of the upturned chairs. Sakura paused for a moment to listen to the song that passed over Tomoyo's lips.

"I believe in miracles, baby. I believe in you. I believe in miracles, baby, I believe in you," The violet haired goddess sang the up beat song with a slight sway in her developing hips. Sakura had admired the elegant magnate since their first meeting.

The pale girl was much more mature than Sakura and the rest of their classmates in both mind and body. While Sakura did have a blooming chest, her figure was still predominately athletic, which read as boyish. Her shoulders were broader than most due to her athletic prowess and activities, her waist narrow but counterbalanced by her boyish and very square hips. Tomoyo was made of soft, flowing curves, her chest more pronounced and her hips wider than others her age, but not large or fat by any stretch. Her maturity really shined through her behavior. She answered all the questions flawlessly and her handwriting was neater than her father's. But the violet haired mogul was also very reclusive and didn't speak to any classmates outside of class save for Sakura. Sakura blushed when she realized that she had stopped cleaning. She still couldn't help but to listen to the other girl's singing for a little longer.

"They say the day is ending. Let's watch the sun go down. And plan a holiday for two. For all eternity, I'm gonna count till you can see, the world I created just for you." Sakura couldn't help but feel that somehow Tomoyo was singing to her. Tomoyo stopped for a moment and turned to face Sakura.

"Sakura-chan, are you feeling well? You've just been standing there for a while," Tomoyo's voice broke Sakura's reverie. Sakura blinked and blushed.

"Ah, I'm fine, really!" assure Sakura, her words just a little too swift, a little too shaky. She hurried to continue washing the chalkboard. In her flush fevered rush she didn't notice the slight puddle of water that her toe stepped into…and slid from. Sakura braced her self as she slid towards the wall while at the same time she was rapidly falling towards the tile floor. 'This is going to hurt, badly,' was the only thought that Sakura could process. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, even though she knew from experience such an action was futile. A loud clattering sound reverberated through the empty classroom, metal against tile, the vibrations clanging against Sakura's temples. When she impacted with warm softness and not cold tile, she opened her eyes again in curiosity.

Tomoyo had managed to rush over and come between the brunette cheerleader and the ground. She evidently didn't have enough time to break her own fall completely and was wincing slightly. In her haste to catch the other girl, Tomoyo had hit her arm on a desk leg, knocking over the desk and forcing the chair to clatter noisily to the floor. She winced in sympathy, but she didn't mind being held in Tomoyo's arms. It was warm and comforting, almost reassuring in its familiarity.

'Atatakai desu It's warm,' thought Sakura as she was wrapped protectively in Tomoyo's pale arms, breathing in the other girl's lavender scent. Realizing that she was still sitting on the other girl and her face pressed up to the mogul's rather soft chest, Sakura blushed and hurriedly climbed up, leaning against the wall.

"Hoe! I'm really, really sorry!" stammered out Sakura, her face on fire. "Are you okay?" she asked immediately. Tomoyo giggled and somehow gracefully pushed against the ground to push her self up. Sakura may have been dense but she didn't miss Tomoyo's slight wince when the girl placed weight on her right hand. When Tomoyo raised her hand to brush her hair back, the uniform sleeve fell back to reveal a nasty looking bruise on the violet eyed girl's right wrist that was rapidly darkening. At Sakura's look Tomoyo glanced at her wrist and shrugged.

"Don't worry, I've had my share of cuts and bruises, this is nothing," Tomoyo smiled at Sakura. For all of the other girl's reassuring smiles, the bruise on the pale flesh made Sakura's heart ache. "And if it would prevent injury to Sakura-chan, I'd wouldn't mind having all my bones broken. Just for Sakura-chan."

Sakura's heart raced at the cord Tomoyo struck in her soul. She had friends a plenty but aside from her brother and father, no one had ever offered to protect her. To her circle of friends she was the tough one, someone who floated on her own and needed no one. She had honestly believed that she was unsinkable, but just the thought of someone holding her and sharing her burden or as Tomoyo offered to take it completely, it made her insides turn to mush and it also zapped her brains pretty thoroughly as well.

"You, you, doonn'tt...need to go thaat faarr," Sakura muttered, embarrassed. She had lost there for a moment, still high off of the soft feeling of the violet haired girl's body. Tomoyo was a beauty of that there was no doubt. Sakura had felt drawn to the girl since their first meeting. Every day merely showed something more astounding about the petit magnate. She tried to quell the fire burning through her body to no avail. There was something enchanting about the other girl and after one taste, Sakura wanted more. Sakura wanted nothing more than to bask in the light that was Tomoyo's aura. She wanted to intertwine her fingers with the other girl's, to run her fingers through the violet tresses. She wanted, no needed to feel the soft warm flesh beneath her finger tips, to caress the pale cheek, to explore the milky pale skin, to see if it was as soft as she imagined, to taste those pale pink lips.

It was late in the afternoon and the sun was slowly creeping down the horizon. Sakura looked up to glance at the other girl and immediately regretted her action. At that moment the sky was splashed with vibrant red and orange hues, it still being too early for the darker touches of midnight blue and ribbons of violet. Sakura, leaning against the wall had a perfect view of Tomoyo and the brilliant sunset behind her. The soft, warm colors lending their pigment to the almost pallid goddess, making her glow at the edges. Through an open window a stray whisper of spring air ruffled the violet-haired girl's skirt and toyed with the wavy violet tresses. Sakura lost her inhibitions and threw caution out the window.

Sakura reached her hand out and took a step, and then another. Her cloth shoes muffled the sound of her footsteps. Five, six steps and she came face to face with Tomoyo. Not waiting for a reaction nor asking for permission, Sakura leaned down and pressed her lips to Tomoyo's. True to her expectations, Tomoyo's lips were silky soft and warm, completely devoid of gunky lip-gloss or thick and dry lipstick. She felt Tomoyo's long lashes caress her face as the other girl closed her eyes, she could smell the earthy lavender that personified the magnate. Sakura relished the sensation and then leaned back, waiting for a reaction. Sakura steeled herself for rejection, a slap to the face or perhaps a good old fashioned yelling and screaming. So wrapped up in her thoughts, Sakura never expected Tomoyo's reaction.

"I'm so sorry and I know that you're going to hate me and," Sakura started to apologize, her words and phrases running together in her panic. She hadn't noticed but she didn't blush when she kissed Tomoyo but her face was flushed now in the aftermath. She quieted only when she felt a slim and elegant but cold finger at her rambling lips did she look at the shorter girl. Tomoyo was smiling, wait, Tomoyo was smiling. The gears in Sakura's fried brain were turning, or at least trying to. If Tomoyo smiled, then she was mad, and if she was mad...Sakura's thoughts were once against cut off. Tomoyo inches one foot towards Sakura, then the other and she repeated stepping ever so slightly to maneuver the brunette cheerleader to where the reincarnated magician wanted the naïve girl. Sakura took a seventh step back to bump into the forgotten chalkboard.

Wasting no time Tomoyo leaned in on her cornered prey and kissed Sakura, causing sparks of pleasure to run through both pre-teen's bodies. Tomoyo parted her lips and ran the pale pink muscle's tip over Sakura's lips, seeking entrance into the taller girl's oral cavity. Sakura moaned and parted her lips as she reached her arms up to embraced Tomoyo pulling her closer. Tomoyo took the invitation and slid her tongue past the parted petals to explore the taste the sakura bloom's nectar, sliding her tongue around Sakura's warm mouth, tasting the girl. Sakura hesitated but mimicked the shorter girl's motions, sending her own tongue out to wrestle with the other girl's before plunging into the cooler cavity of Tomoyo's mouth. The girl seemed to be perpetually around five degrees cooler than everyone else and Sakura discovered that to be true of the magnate's mouth as well. Sakura explored Tomoyo's mouth, tasting the wasabi of Tomoyo's lunch mixed with the taste that was Tomoyo, moonlight mixed with frost. After a few moments of playful wrestling between their tongues the two parted for air.

Sakura leaned against the cold chalkboard and clung to the equally cold girl for support. Her face was flushed with passion, her breath short and erratic. Tomoyo was her normal imperturbable self, except her heart beat was just that little bit faster, a pale pink blush staining her pale cheeks and her body just a little hotter. Well it looked like her angel had an incubus hiding underneath the naivety and active exterior after all. Tomoyo would enjoy cultivating that lusty demon and bringing it out. She had centuries of experience and more than that of lonely darkness. If it kept her angel close, Tomoyo couldn't care less what the genki cheerleader did. A body was a body, a mere tool for the soul, but somewhere in back of her mind a small voice cried. It whispered that Sakura's interactions had managed to make the imbalance of her body warp the process of her mind. It was just another display of how important Sakura was, is and would become to the violet haired manipulator. The moon needed sunlight to give off its gossamer silvery glow. Like the moon without the sun, if Tomoyo did not have Sakura then she would be another moving corpse in the sea of humanity known as Japan, like the moon would be a dead, pox ridden rock just floating through space.

Sun and moon, how poetic Tomoyo scoffed at how soft she was getting but she couldn't help it around the other girl. She leaned back and fixed the desk and chair that had started the whole mess. The metal scrapping against the tile floor with a loud shriek. No reaction from Sakura, Tomoyo was not surprised. Judging from the other girl's flame red face, the poor things brains fried, probably from too much heat due to excessive blood. She closed the window and draped a long limb around the tall brunette's waist and dragged the other girl out of the classroom.

It was still crisply cold outside, spring had yet to truly wake up the sleeping plant life, winter still lingering with its last chilling breaths before spring came. Tomoyo held Sakura close, shielding her from the wind. Esther was awaiting both of them at the school gates, as were the rest of Tomoyo's bodyguards. Sakura clung a little closer to Tomoyo, still wary of the scarily professional black clad women. She did however give Esther a soft, shy smile before being escorted into the back of the car. Two days until April 1, 1996. 1

The car rolled to a stop in front of the Kinomoto residence and Tomoyo walked Sakura to the door. Sakura was fishing through her school bag for the keys when Tomoyo leaned over her shoulder peering into the house. The lights were off and the house was silent. Sakura nibbled on her lips as she tried to find her house keys.

"Hoe! I can't find my keys and Dad's on a trip and Oniichan doesn't get home until ten," cried Sakura, a slight whine in her voice mixed with panic. Tomoyo smiled.

"How about I take you out to dinner then?" invited Tomoyo, her breath caressing Sakura's ear, sending a chill down the cheerleader's spine. Sakura felt her blood begin to travel to her face again.

"S..uu..rreee," Sakura stammered. Tomoyo leaned back and smiled angelically. She took Sakura's hand and the two got back into the car.

"Where would you like to go?" asked Tomoyo as Esther closed the car door. Sakura thought for a moment.

"Anything's fine, sushi I guess, 'cause I really like tamago sushi," said Sakura. Tomoyo smiled and whispered something to Esther and the bodyguard relayed the information to the driver. The car pulled out of the street and sped towards Tokyo, the sun setting as the black car drove on the highways. Sakura interlinked her hand with Tomoyo's and leaned against the shorter girl. Tomoyo reached up a hand and ran a hand through Sakura's short hair. A key chain was hidden in the folds of Tomoyo's skirt. Sakura dozed while Tomoyo petted the other girl.

To be Continued

1 CCS was published in 1994, so two years later the year would be 1996, even though the anime was first aired in 1996, I choose to use the manga timeframe.

The song Tomoyo was singing is "I believe in miracles" from DDR, I don't know the artist's name, if someone could tell me that'd be really nice.

A/N: Gasp okay, I'm really sorry that this took forever to get out! Gomen nasai! This was supposed to go to Sakura's birthday but I choose to end it here and get this posted while I whack my head on the keyboard. I didn't write this with the intention for the classroom scene to happen but that gets a lot of stuff out of the way too. Hope you guys liked it! Reviews of any sort wanted. See you guys next chapter!


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